Thursday Open Thread.

We're Throwing It Open To You Today.As we troll the depths of the 'blogosphere each day to bring you, the reader, the very freshest in Pennsylvania political news, we've noticed a few things.Among them are recurring complaints about how state Rep. X is a waste of space, or how state Sen. Y doesn't deserve his big, fat paycheck because he's a worthless sack of protoplasm.And that got us thinking:What constitutes a productive and effective state legislator?Is it the number of bills they pass?Is it how quickly they respond to citizens' needs?Is it a combination of both?In any given legislative session, hundreds, if not thousands, of pieces of legislation are introduced. Only a handful ever become law. Based on that, you could divide the number of bills a lawmaker sponsors by the number he or she actually gets passed. That'll give you a batting average of effectiveness.But is that a fair way to do it?So, send us your suggestions. How do you evaluate a legislator's effectiveness? What criteria do you use?And, moreover, who do you think the most and least effective state lawmakers are?Send your suggestions and nominations to the e-mail link in the right column of this page. We'll publish the results early next week. Responses will be kept strictly anonymous.Meanwhile, the rest of today's news starts after the jump.

Bottoms Up.New PA Liquor Control Board CEO Joe Contican't talk official business with his former
Senate colleagues until November, but he he can still hang out with them and rent part of a Harrisburg home from a senator, the state Ethics Commission ruled yesterday.That November deadline coincides with the one-year anniversary of Conti leaving the Senate, and is tied to a state law that bars legislators from lobbying or otherwise influencing the chamber they left for a year after their departure."It's clear that I will have to be very careful with interaction,"
Conti told the Inky yesterday. "We can talk about tax reform. We can talk about other
matters. We can talk about the Phillies. But we can't talk about any
matters with the LCB."Why would anyone want to talk about the Phillies?

Regola Update.A lawyer for state Sen. Bob Regola, R-Westmoreland, says his client won't resign from office
while Westmoreland County prosecutors pursue charges against him in the apparent suicide of a young neighbor last year."He's staying in office. That's where he belongs, in office," defense
attorney Duke George told the Tribune-Review after Regola's five-minute arraignment before
Greensburg District Judge James Albert."He's an innocent man. Why would he think about resigning? It
is only a piece of paper. This is going to be a long process, and he
will fight these charges vigorously," George said.Regola faces perjury and other charges in the death of 14-year-old Louis Farrell, who was found in the woods behind Regola's home with the legislator's gun nearby.A preliminary hearing has been scheduled for April 5, and Regola is free on $25,000 unsecured bond while his case moves through the courts.Westmoreland County prosecutors, meanwhile, say Farrell's death remains a mystery despite an official finding of suicide.Gavel-Rattling Dept.PA Supreme Court Justice Ronald Castile says high court critic and Duquesne University
Law School Prof. Bruce Ledewitz may be opening himself to disciplinary action by suggesting that court members may have committed criminal actions, our friends at Capitolwire report this morning.Ledewitz, who's made a cottage industry out of ripping Castile and his black-robed colleagues, "has called the judicial salary decision a 'swindle,'" Castile said. "And he also said the Supreme Court justices are even more corrupt than the Legislature."Both of those are charges of a crime, the thin-skinned jurist whined, and although "he may speak as a person ... he is also an attorney, and he owes it to the court not to make charges of this court or any court of criminal charges he can't back up."The Senate State Government Committee, meanwhile, says it wants to see the letter that Castile sent to Duquesne Law Prof Ken Gormley, where he complained about Ledewitz's outspokenness. The committee says it's concerned that Castile may be trying to silence a critic.Basically proving them right, Castile told Capitolwire the contents of the letter was "none of their business." Ledewitz, meanwhile, discussed Castile's letter while testifying on a proposal that would eliminate federally linked raises for state judges.Now where did we leave that pesky First Amendment thingie?More Fun In Appellate Court.There's only one Bucks County Court vacancy before voters this election
season, and adding another with the primary just weeks away is not only
unfair, it's also a major headache for county elections officials, a
Commonwealth Court judge was told Wednesday.Judge James R. Kelley could rule by the end of the week on a claim
brought by Democratic judicial hopeful Jahn Chesnov, who says there's
more than enough time to put retiring Judge Kenneth Biehn's seat on the
spring ballot. Chesnov is already on the ballot.
''I'm running. I'm in the race to stay,'' Chesnov said after a two-hour
hearing Wednesday. ''I firmly believe the people have an unequivocal
right to elect their judges.''Biehn, who announced his retirement last December, is slated to step
down July 5. Because Biehn, a Republican, made his departure public
less than 10 months before an election, it's up to Gov. Ed Rendell, a
Democrat, to appoint someone to serve until 2009.
But Chesnov and his lawyer, the always colorful Larry Otter of Doylestown, say the state
Constitution is pretty clear on how Biehn should be replaced: by voters
in the voting booth.Stay tuned.

Bullseye.If Republican Reps. Charlie Dent and Jim Gerlach feel a little tingling on the backs of their
respective necks this morning, it might be because the trained assassins at the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee have set their sights on them. In a statement that came streaking into our in-box this morning, the kind folks over at the DCCC want to know whether Dent and Gerlach will support America's veterans and vote in favor of the House budget that "invests in veterans' healthcare ... or rubber stamp President Bush's budget, which increases health care costs for veterans."Oddly, we can't help but notice that the canned quote from DCCC spokesflack Jennifer Crider is identical in both e-mails we received. Looks like they just substituted Dent's name for Gerlach's in the broadside they sent out.Points for effort, kids. But massive points deducted for a lack of original thinking. At least try to make the press releases look like they didn't roll off some propaganda assembly line.

Nobody Likes Teachers' Strikes.
Because, let's face it, no one wins. The kids miss out on valuable learning time. The teachers do
damage to their reputations. And, most importantly, parents have to
burn through vacation time while unions and the local school
boards work through their mischigoss.
That said, no one seems to think that forcing teachers into binding
arbitration is a particularly good idea either. Unions and an outfit
called StopTeacherStrikes Inc. have already teamed up to try to kill a
binding arbitration bill sponsored by Bob "Get A Life" Mellow over in the state Senate.
Now, the same folks are entering into an alliance to kill a similar bill sponsored by the boy legislator, Rep. Jim Wansacz, who, like Mellow, is from Lackawanna County, and where, apparently, teachers will go on strike if you look at 'em cross-eyed.
We can't think of any other way to explain why Mellow and Wansacz, who are both Democrats and allegedly friends of the teachers unions, would be sponsoring this legislation.
Unless, of course, they're just trying to score gratuitous political points.
But that would be wrong.

Rosebud ...State Sen. "Citizen" Mike Folmer, R-Lebanon, hosts a listening session on agriculture issues this morning at the offices of the Lebanon County Conservation District. The fun starts at 9:30 a.m. and lasts until someone drinks the last of the raw milk.Today's featured guest: new Senate Ag. Committee Chairman Mike Brubaker.EdWatch (TM):Thursday finds Gov. Ed in Delaware County, where, at 1:30 p.m., he'll discuss his Classrooms for the Future program at Upper Darby High School. We can't help but be reminded here of the old "Honeymooners" episode where Jackie Gleason tries to win a costume contest as the "Man of the Future."Weird, no?

Dept. of Gratuitous Plugs.It's the Battle of the 'Bloggers on PCN'sJournalists Roundtable tonight. We'll be squaring off against fellow byte-stained wretch Tony Phyrillas at 8 p.m. this evening. Also on the panel, our good pal (and fellow Nutmeg Stater) Tracie Mauriello of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Try to tune in ... that is, if you can tear yourself away from the all-Pennsylvania Turnpike edition of Smart Talk on WITF-TV tonight.In The Blogosphere:Keystone Politics on the Highmark/IBC merger; GrassrootsPA on a challenge to Republican Mike Krancer's Supreme Court candidacy; Young Philly Politics says the Brady ruling is "ridiculous"; Above Average Jane has another Chaka Fattah update; Tony Phyrillas takes aim at the lawmakers who are supposed to be watching over PHEAA; One of 2 Political Junkies hits the Pittsburgh airwaves; Perry Christopher has a few thoughts about l'Affaire Regola; Bernie O'Hare hears from NorCo Democratic boss Joe Long; PSoTD on chain restaurants; Suburban Guerrilla on 'blogger recidivism; Fact-Esque on healthcare reform; Dick Polmanon Nebraska becoming our national bellwether; Green Dog Dem on an inappropriate fundraiser; PA Watercooler on the NRCC's list of targeted Democrats in 2008; Powerline on McCain; Taegan Goddard on a proposal in Maryland to spike the electoral college; Josh Marshall continues to own the U.S. Attorney story; Arianna Huffington on News 2.0; Hotline on barnstorming ... Rudy-style; New 'blog: Window on Washington and DCist once again provides us with our Picture of the Day (TM).

On The Capitol Ideas iPod This Morning:Today it's veteran Canadian power-pop outfit Sloan. The LP: "Never Hear The End Of It." And at 30 tracks, that's probably true. Not for the faint of heart, or those without oodles of free-time. We've only dumped the first 15 songs to our iPod.

Thursday's Gratuitous Hockey Link:There is no joy in Mudville this morning. The %$^&*%^$#$ Carolina Hurricanes got their hats handed to them by the worst teams in the league. The 'Canes got drilled -- again -- by the disgusting Philadelphia Flyers. The final score, 5-1. The 'Canes' play-off hopes are now circling the drain. Well, at least we can still root for Vancouver.

Current Comments

A productive and effective state legislator is one who remembers where he comes from. He does not ignore his constituents or their concerns. This means more than constituent service. This means a legislator who is willing to exercise oversight over a state bureaucracy that ignores everyone, whether it is PennDot or the state elections office. All of the reforms being touted are supposed to be designed to make the government more responsive to the people. But in the deference shown to our apparatchiks in various Harrisburg caves, it's evident that no real reform is intended.

Unfortuantely I do not believe there is such thing as a legislator that is universally accepted as "effective." By nature of our system someone is always going to be upset. In my opinion an effective legislator is one that causes others to be ineffective. What I mean by that is the less government, the better (to a degree). We dont need time wasted on bills that do nothing more than recognize so and so as a good american. We shouldnt have a government at a Commonwealth or Federal level that is making rulings that are better left to councils and voters themselves.

Legislators should be concerned with passing laws that preserve important services (plowing I-78) while saving our money to the best of our ability.

Posted By: Paul | Mar 29, 2007 10:44:05 AM

Leave A Comment

NOTE: Please express your opinions in a civil and respectful manner. Insensitive, inflammatory and derogatory comments will be removed at our discretion.